Competency-Based Programs

This page provides a library of resources for aviation maintenance technician schools that are considering a competency-based system for airframe & powerplant programs. Instructors and administrators are encouraged to familiarize themselves with these concepts in preparation for a new part 147 that will move away from seat-time requirements and allow more flexibility for institutions to cater curriculum to industry needs.

• ATEC webinar on competency-based programs, featuring guest speaker Dr. Suzanne Kearns discussing the origins of competency-based education in aviation and some of the advantages and pitfalls of this new educational philosophy. Available in the ATEC webinar library
• ATEC supplemental comments to part 147 notice of proposed rulemaking, in support of a competency-based systems approach: www.atec-amt.org/member-alerts/atec-submits-supplemental-part-147-nprm-comments
• White paper on competency-based education for aviation maintenance technician schools: atec-whitepaper-cbe-amts-20160506.pdf
• What it is: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-robert-mendenhall/competency-based-learning-_b_1855374.html
• The Center for American Progress White Paper: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/higher-education/report/2012/06/07/11680/a-disruptive-look-at-competency-based-education/
• US Dept. of Ed Best Practices on competency based learning: http://www.ed.gov/oii-news/competency-based-learning-or-personalized-learning
• How to Implement it: Higher Learning Commission: https://www.hlcommission.org/Monitoring/competency-based-education-programs.html
• Application Examples:
  • Southern New Hampshire U: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/05/06/college-america-hits-10000-mark-new-competency-based-bachelors-degrees
  • Capella U and others: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/04/22/competency-based-educations-newest-form-creates-promise-and-questions
• ​Pilot Program: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/04/17/competency-based-education-heats-new-entrants
• Inside Higher Ed – US Dept. of Ed gives blessing to experiment with competency based ed: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/07/23/competency-based-education-gets-boost-education-department
• National Public Radio Review: http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2014/10/07/353930358/competency-based-education-no-more-semesters
• Hickey, Daniel (2015). A Framework for Interactivity in Competency-Based Courses at http://er.educause.edu/articles/2015/8/a-framework-for-interactivity-in-competency-based-courses
• Voorhees, R. A. (2001). Competency-based learning models: A necessary future. New Directions for Institutional Research at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ir.7/epdf
• Gruppen, L. D., Burkhardt, J. C., Fitzgerald, J. T., Funnell, M., Haftel, H. M., Lypson, M. L., Vasquez, J. A. (2016). Competency‐based education: Programme design and challenges to implementation. Medical Education at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/medu.12977/epdf
• Kearns, S.K., Mavin, T.J., Hodge, S. (2016). Competency Based Education In Aviation, available for purchase at https://www.amazon.com/Competency-Based-Education-Aviation-Exploring-Alternate/dp/1472438566/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1494809152&sr=1-1&keywords=aviation+competency+based+education
• Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions ‘Common Framework for Defining and Approving Competency-Based Education Programs http://www.nwccu.org/Standards%20and%20Policies/Policies/PolicyDocs/C-RAC%20CBE%20Statement%20Press%20Release%206_2.pdf​
• Dyen, Fred (2017). A Delphi Study of Aviation Maintenance Experts' Recommendations for a Model School Curriculum, available at https://sites.google.com/a/email.vccs.edu/model-1/dissertation-draft.